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Once, my colleagues and I were sent on a reforestation expedition. Within 5 months we had to plant trees. We lived in a forester’s house. It was he who suggested that we cook Meteglin – mead according to an old recipe.
The story was sent by blog subscriber George.
What ingredients and equipment will be needed
It was the first time I heard such a word. This fueled the interest to try the unusual mead. True, the forester immediately warned us that it was preparing for a long time. There was nowhere to hurry, and we started preparing Meteglin.
To begin with, we decided to discuss what we need from the ingredients. We decided to purchase products in a clubbing. Still, I did not want to abuse the hospitality of the owner. The forester instructed us in detail what to buy:
Honey. The owner made it himself, so we had no problems with that. Honey needs 1,2 kg. In the store, such a pleasure would cost 1400 rubles.
- Water – 3,5 liters. Not a single mineral water from the supermarket could compare with the well water next to the forester’s house.
- Hop. For him, as, indeed, for everything else, I had to go to the city. We only needed 3 gr. The packaging came out at 80 rubles.
- Cloves, 5 gr. – 200 rubles.
- Cinnamon, 5 gr. – 200 rubles.
- Ginger, 15 gr. – 50 rubles.
- Yeast, 10 gr. – 60 rubles.
- Fructose, 30 g – 110 rubles.
Important! Honey must be floral. It is necessary that there are no air bubbles and candied sugar in it.
The cooking process
We went to the city for groceries at the first opportunity. In the evening of the same day they began to prepare mead.
First, melt honey in a saucepan and add water to it. After an hour of cooking over medium heat, pre-chopped spices were put in the satu and allowed to boil for another half an hour.
After cooling the mixture, we poured it into jars and added yeast. The whole thing was set up for fermentation not very far from the stove. The forester told us that the future mead should be kept in a dry, warm place for 4 weeks.
We’ve got a few cans. For a change, we decided to make one of them carbonated. To do this, after 2 weeks of fermentation, fructose was added to the mixture.
After a month of fermentation, the mead was bottled and sent to infuse in the cellar, where it remained for another 4 months.
Note! The longer Meteglin stays in the cellar, the better it will taste.
What will be the result
A few weeks before our departure, we decided to do a tasting of one bottle. And I must say Meteglin impressed. The mead had a light brown, slightly hazy appearance. The smell is spicy, sweetish.
The taste didn’t disappoint either. Here, notes of honey and spices were mixed, which gave Meteglin its own, incomparable aroma.
Note! The color and flavor of homemade mead may vary depending on the ingredients used.
Tasting.
How to serve and what to use
Before leaving home, we decided to make a real feast for the whole world. Well, if not for the whole world, then for the whole forest for sure. And after all was from what. For 5 months, a colossal work has been done to restore green spaces. We thought that we honestly deserved the rest.
The forester, apparently, was of the same opinion and gave us a dinner in the best traditions of ancient Russia. He cooled the mead and poured it into a large cauldron. He handed out a wooden glass to each and advised to drink Meteglin slowly, in small sips, scooping directly from the container.
Meanwhile, soaked cranberries and cranberries appeared on the table, as well as mushrooms, berries and honeycombs. According to the owner, since ancient times, these products have been traditional snacks for mead.
After half the cauldron was empty, the forester served up sauerkraut, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and roasted pig was the crowning achievement.
It seems that during that memorable dinner in the forester’s hut, many of my friends felt something like this.
Interesting fact! In ancient times, they tried to consume mead half an hour before meals. It was believed that this improves digestion.
In general, that evening the participants of the reforestation expedition were fully rewarded for their efforts. Dinner really looked like a feast at some prince. Have you ever tried Meteglin?